1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device to right a sail and mast of a buoyant windsurfer board. More specifically, this invention provides a device that produces a 2 to 1 mechanical advantage to right a sail and mast of a windsurfer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are thousands of surfboards with a sail attached thereto in use today all over the world. These are commonly know as windsurfers. Windsurfers are divided into two types of boards. These types are commonly called long boards, usually used on lakes and bays, and short boards, used in the ocean when riding waves. The dividing line in length is approximately 10 feet whereby the long boards also have a centerboard that can be raised or lowered from the top of the surfboard. Both the long and short boards have a skeg which is a fixed rudder attached to the rear of the board. A short board is usually less than 10 feet and has no centerboard. The invention described herein will be concerned only with a righting device for a long board.
When a windsurfer person "dumps" a sail, both the windsurfer person and the sail are in the water. Usually the windsurfer wears a wet suit which provides some buoyancy. On a long board, which is the concern of the present invention, a windsurfer person of moderate weight can mount the board without the board becoming submerged. When the sail and mast is dumped, it is imperative to get the sail out of the water and in a sailing position as quickly as possible in order to keep the sail from sinking deeper into the water. Unless a windsurfer person is strong, or can use their body weight to an advantage to pull the sail out of the water, it is a difficult task to get the sail up in a sailing position. This is especially true for persons of a smaller stature who do not have the same strength as that of a larger person.
The basic patent for a wind propelled surfboard is U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,700 by Schweitzer and Drake. This patent issued in 1970 and as such the invention is in the public domain. This patent describes wind propulsion means for vehicles including watercraft, iceboats and landcraft. This patent also describes all the steering and control to be accomplished through the sail. In the event of sudden or excessive winds, the user needs only to release the sail and it will fall in any direction freeing the vehicle from any propulsive force. This patent, however, does not provide for any righting device as described herein.
A patent utilizing a righting device is U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,061 to Newman. This device and method is used to right a catamaran which is more difficult than righting the sail of a windsurfer. Newman has an embodiment whereby he obtains a mechanical advantage using pulleys that right a mast of a catamaran. However, the catamaran features two side shroud cables and one cable running fore and aft to the mast tip. Newman uses these shroud cables to an advantage to right the catamaran mast and sail. The present invention has no permanent cables attached to the windsurfer board.
A French patent 2,575-720A to Biasini describes a device to assist righting a sail and mast of a windsurfer. This device is a mobile beam articulated to a mast base and acts as a pull pivot. This device requires less force for righting a sail and mast. Applicant uses no mobile beam to right his sail and mast.
Other patents pertaining to some phase of windsurfing as German patent DC 2939-182 to Jako, German patent 292 0011 assigned to Windglider Thailand Ltd., Bankok, Thailand, German patent DT2920-011 assigned to Windglider Thailand, French patent FR 2480-703 to Marguier, French patent FR 2306-717 to Corn and U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,411 to Marker.
What is needed is a device that can provide a mechanical advantage to those windsurfer persons who cannot provide a combination of weight plus brute force to upright the sail after it has been dumped. The present invention provides such a device that will assist windsurfer persons in uprighting the sail without the need for exceptional strength and weight.
The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the invention, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.